Timing pulleys have special grooves that keep belts secure as they move in a system. If you want to get the most use out of this pulley system and thus save on replacement costs, here are some maintenance precautions you can take.

Clean Pulleys When They Get Dirty 

Depending on where your timing pulley is located, it can get dirty over time and you want to deal with this before the pulley's performance is negatively affected. Cleaning isn't that difficult fortunately because these pulleys have a relatively open design. You'll just want to use the appropriate tools and cleaning frequency.

For instance, you can get a microfiber towel and remove dirt and debris that collect on surfaces. As long as you keep cleaning these surfaces consistently, you can prevent wear and tear that otherwise would lead to repair or replacement costs. 

Continue to Check the Alignment of Belt Materials

In order for a timing pulley to work effectively long-term, the belt it moves needs to have proper alignment. This is something you want to check periodically just in case alignment is off and requires an adjustment. Fortunately, this problem will be clearly noticeable and is thus something you can diagnose yourself.

If belt alignment does ever need an adjustment, be sure to hire a professional timing pulley contractor to ensure the proper adjustment is carried out in a controlled manner. You can then get this pulley system back to working optimally again for a system.

Replace Pulley if Teeth Become Too Worn

The reason why timing pulleys are so effective at moving belts and keeping them properly aligned is because of the teeth they have. If they ever become severely worn, then this is a sign you need to find a timing pulley replacement.

Severely worn teeth won't be able to keep belt materials secure on this pulley system, so a replacement is the best option to pursue at this time. You can either go with the same pulley system or choose something different depending on how happy you've been with this pulley's performance. Just be sure to carry out this replacement quickly to keep more severe issues from surfacing.

Timing pulleys are integral systems for moving belt materials in a secure manner. If you do the right things from a maintenance standpoint, you'll get many years out of this pulley system and keep pulley-related issues from happening on a consistent basis. For more information on timing pulleys, contact a professional near you.